Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene January - February 2016 vol.11 no.1

Climatology El Niño leaves hunger in its wake A n estimated 10.2 million people are now food insecure in Ethiopia, as a result of an exceptional drought exacerbated by the El Niño event that began last year. The situation not only in the country but also across the whole of East Africa is predicted to worsen in coming months. After peaking in late December, the warming El Niño phenomenon is slowly fading, with Pacific Ocean surface temperatures starting to decrease. But as public attention declines, a food crisis brought about by last year’s erratic Failed sorghum crops in West Hararghe in eastern Ethiopia. Because of a particularly strong El Niño that began last year, the main harvest in affected areas is predicted

Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene January - February 2016 vol.11 no.1 | Page 28